Now that the Affordable Connectivity Program is insolvent, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is pitching another way to provide internet service to low-income students when school is out: Let them “borrow” Wi-Fi hot spots from public schools and libraries.
The FCC will vote on the proposal at its July 18 meeting.
A June 27 outline of the plan justifies the measure as a way to help financially disadvantaged students who are at risk of falling behind at school because their families can’t afford residential internet service.
The program would provide portable routers that access cellular signals provided to schools and libraries at a discounted rate based on their size and the income levels of the populations they serve. According to the FCC’s June 27 outline, the proposed ratio is 20 hot spot routers per 100 students for schools and 5.5 hot spots per square foot of building size….